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| K.Covey/The HSUS |
Boots says hello to Tamara Amann July 4.
Flooding separated the kitten from his family. |
By Kathy Covey
On June 30, torrential rains flooded the tight-knit community of Coffeyville, Kan., which sits along the southern Kansas border just 75 miles north of Tulsa, Okla. On July 3, after more than 2,000 people were evacuated from homes, the city invited The Humane Society of the United States Disaster Response Team to help shelter animals affected by the disaster.
Since that call, a team of seven HSUS responders have set up a temporary shelter in LeClere Park. The park is home to several of the town’s ball fields and as of 5:30 on the July 4, 54 dogs and cats. The animals have been housed, fed, cleaned and comforted. A few have already been reunited with their owners at the HSUS-run shelter.
Coffeyville suspended Independence Day festivities, but on July 4, Deelyn Ameigh and her two adopted daughters Tamera Amann and Tina Garner did have reason to celebrate. After four days apart, Ameigh's companion animals, Boots, Smoke and William, arrived unharmed at the shelter.
They were carried to safety by Code 3, the organization called in to conduct rescues in Coffeyville. Code 3 referred the HSUS disaster services to town officials, and the group has been patrolling the town by boat, rescuing stranded animals. The HSUS and Code 3 are two of nine members of the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition.
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| K.Covey/The HSUS |
Deelyn Ameigh cradles William when they are reunited
after the flooding. |
After seeing to the comfort of their pets, Ameigh and her daughters completed their volunteer shift, doling affection and care on the other animals still waiting to be reunited with their families. The women have been just a few of the community members—many of whom may have lost their homes—volunteering their time at the shelter.
"Disasters, by their nature, are unpredictable and often catch people unaware," said Director of HSUS Disaster Services Randy Covey. "The best chance anyone has to protect pets and family in a disaster is to be as prepared as possible. Make a plan. Have a disaster kit packed and ready to go. It may not help in every case, but it’s the best way to try and keep pets and family safe in an emergency."
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| K.Covey/The HSUS |
| The first temporary shelter in Coffeyville, Kan. |
Nationwide, The HSUS has worked to pass federal and state laws that require animal needs to be considered as part of disaster planning. With the new laws, and growing awareness about disaster planning for pets, The HSUS hopes to help keep more and more families together when disasters hit.
In Kansas, The HSUS anticipates assisting as many as 200 companion animals over the next week. The team said they will use a climate-controlled trailer with 64 kennels to safely move the animals and the sheltering operation to a community center later today.
They HSUS responders also said they were grateful for the Coffeyville citizens who came together on their own to get a temporary animal shelter started, and also those who are volunteering their time in the hot, muggy weather.
